


To Win Your Heart

by Bittodeath



Series: The Chronicles of Padenom [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Background - Freeform, Burns, Dragon Riders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Dates, Fluff and Smut, Getting to Know Each Other, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Injury, KuroDai Weekend 2018, M/M, Making Love, Nobility, Padenom AU, Past Prostitution, Past Sawamura Daichi/Michimiya Yui, Snow and Ice, Talking, Threats, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-05 11:20:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15862581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bittodeath/pseuds/Bittodeath
Summary: Daichi promised Kuroo to woo him and win his heart.Kuroo is willing to let himself be won.





	1. Injured

**Author's Note:**

> Written for KuroDai Weekend 2018.  
> Can be read alone, but I'd advise your read the first two parts of their story ("The Chestnut Tree" and "Un Coeur Pur et Un Bras Fort") for more background.  
> Prompt: Sick/ **Injury**

It was winter in Lefalls, and the cold was bitter. Daichi tightened his cloak around himself as he trudged through the snow. He had just finished writing his report to his lord, Hideo, about his troops and lands and fortunes. It still amazed him that a man who possessed so much could decide to leave everything behind and live of his own hard work. He smiled at the memory of his lord – he owed everything to him. From his place as captain of his guard, to the life of Kuroo. It had been only a few months since he brought the prostitute to Lefalls, hiding him in the favourite’s quarters, and so far no one had found out about him. Not even a year since the end of the war.

He paused, looking far, where the snowy horizon met the clear blue sky. His home was there – to the south-west. Or, well. What had been his home. He still wondered how Yui was faring – knowing he could never face her again. She had been his betrothed once. He’d loved her. He wondered about the child she’d been expecting, three years ago. He knew they had both survived. It hurt, not knowing a child who could be his own – but who just as well could not be. It hurt, knowing he’d failed to protect them both as a fiancé. He closed his eyes. This was no longer his, but it scared him senseless that he could still lose Kuroo. What could be his worth as a warrior, if he wasn’t able to protect the ones close to him?

He opened his eyes at the sound of the door slamming open, a child – one of his informants – running up to him with a panicked expression. He almost lost his cool when he realized this was the child he’d put in charge of watching over Kuroo.

“Captain!” the child cried out, “captain, Lord Hayato found out!”

Daichi swore loudly and started to run to the side-entrance to the fortress – the one that let him directly into the kitchens. He ran, slamming a door open on a narrow corridor, cursing the impossible layout of the castle. Climbed down the stairs as if his life depended on it, throwing aside one of the servants and barrelling through the harem’s door. It wasn’t guarded – not when it was supposed to empty. The sight froze his blood in his veins, but with great effort, he managed not to pull out his broadsword. Doing so in the presence of the king would mean one thing: his death. It took everything he had to fight that instinct.

“This man is under Lord Hideo’s protection”, he said, his voice firm though a bit out of breath, “in his possession, and under my care in my lord’s absence.”

Kuroo was on his knees, the king’s dagger pressed against his throat. About to cut it – to end the threat he represented. His arrival startled everyone, and the king’s hand ripped slightly. Not dramatically, but a bloody red line appeared on Kuroo’s throat. A drop of blood rolled down his neck to his thick cottony shirt. The young man had been crying – probably begging for mercy, for his life – and is cheeks were still wet with tears. The king’s fingers were clasped tightly into his hair, holding his head up in an iron grip. The king looked at Daichi, his jaw clenching.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked.  
“Look at the pendent around his neck”, Daichi said. “Your son gave it to him as a protection. You cannot harm what is his.”

The king relaxed his grip on Kuroo’s hair.

“Show me, boy”, he said, and his voice wasn’t as sharp and steely as Daichi had expected. No, it was soft, gentle and comforting. He hadn’t wanted to kill a frightened young man – but he knew his duty. That was something Daichi could understand, being born a noble himself.

Kuroo’s hands trembled as he lifted them and pulled a pendent from inside his shirt. It was bearing Hideo Starscream’s blazon, and after the king took a look at it, he let it drop back against Kuroo’s chest. Daichi could see his intense reflexion, and neither him nor Kuroo dared to move. Finally, he spoke.

“I have no wish for your death, boy, but you must understand this: you are a threat to our emperor’s power. You are the very last heir to a long line.”  
“I never wanted to cause any problem”, Kuroo replied, looking up at the king, his golden eyes filled with frightened tears. His natural appeal and learnt charm did wonders together – he was simply gorgeous.  
“I can see that”, the king answered gently. “You were just a kid when the war occurred, but there are others who would see your existence as a weapon. I have conditions to let you live. If you accept them, I will guarantee your safety.” He paused, making sure Kuroo was listening to him. “Captain, swear on your sword to bear witness to our oaths.”

Daichi took a breath and pulled out his broadsword in the same move as he put a knee down, holding the sword on his palms upturned.

“I swear, on my iron, on my honour, and on my life, to witness these oaths. Should I not keep my word, may I perish to my own sword.”

The king nodded his approval, and looked back at Kuroo. Gently, he took his wrists and pulled him up.

“You will swear to renounce the name of Sunseer forever”, he started, “and forever be called Kuroo, unless you shall marry and wish to take your spouse name. You will never father any children, to anyone. You may adopt, but never give them your name. And lastly, you will never leave my land. Your ashes shall be buried in Starscream land, and the memory of the Sunseers die with you.”

There was a long moment of silence, that no one dared to break, and the king resumed:

“If you agree to this, you will have a friend and an ally in me. You will be given whatever you may need to live.”

Kuroo stared at him for a long moment, seized his hand kissed his open palm.

“My life is in your hands, Your Majesty.”

The king gave him a smile.

“Not entirely, no. Only my son can free you of your bondage”, he said, referring to his prostitute’s earring. “I have no wish to buy over your contract from him.” He paused. “Do you wish to remain in the fortress, or do you want to leave?”  
“With your permission, Majesty, I will stay here”, Kuroo replied.

The King nodded.

“As the harem is not in use, you may keep on using it for now. You may roam the castle to your leisure.” He then turned to Daichi. “It is a capital crime for anyone other than me or my sons to enter the harem, captain”, he said sternly. “Given the circumstances, you are pardoned this time, but you should never step in here without my or my sons’ permission. You would do well to remember that.”

Daichi nodded, and the king left them. Daichi ran to Kuroo, his fingers skimming over the wound of his throat. It wouldn’t scar and would heal rapidly, but for now it was still bleeding and Daichi was still livid with fear. He pressed Kuroo’s shirt, which was ruined anyway, to his throat.

“You will be alright”, he said. “I know you were scared, but this wound is benign. It will leave no scarring.”

Kuroo slowly leant against his torso, his whole body trembling slightly. He had been scared, beyond what he could endure.

“I… I just can’t believe I’m safe”, he finally said, and looked up to stare into Daichi’s eyes. “It’s thanks to you. Thank you, Daichi. For everything.”

Daichi smiled gently.

“It was nothing. If you will still allow me, it will be easier for me to court you now. Would you meet me in the gardens tomorrow evening?”  
“Yes”, Kuroo breathed. “Yes, I would. But you will start courting me tomorrow. Tonight, stay with me and love me.”  
“No, Kuroo”, Daichi replied, gently – and it was taking all he had to. “You are scared, and I won’t take advantage of your distress. I told you I would show you how much I love you, and commit myself to your courting.”  
“Daichi, I am a prostitute. Share my bed.”

Daichi’s fingers gently brushed against his cheek.

“That doesn’t make it any righter”, he said softly. “I won’t, Kuroo. I won’t have sex with you, not until I’ve court you properly. But if you really are too scared”, he added, “you are welcome to sleep by my side tonight. I’ve been given a bedroom in the barracks while my house is being repaired. It’s not much, but it’s enough.”

He checked on the wound again, and decided it would be best to wrap it in gauze and bandage it. There was some in a nearby piece of furniture and he did so. Kuroo didn’t move as he cleaned the wound, but he flinched when he applied alcoholised cotton against it to kill any germ that might develop. Kuroo then changed his clothes, taking a coat, and they made their way out. They didn’t linger out there, and made it to the barracks as quickly as they could, climbing the narrow stairs to the upstairs bedrooms to Daichi’s. The captain wrapped a blanket around Kuroo’s shoulders, who fell asleep against him as they watched the fire in the small fireplace. Maybe Kuroo had been injured today – but it was for the best. At last, he was safe.


	2. Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first real date Kuroo and Daichi manage to have - but they need to sort through some stuff first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm putting a warning for this chapter - they only discuss things that happened before, but heavy themes are dealt with. Rape is mentionned, as is Daichi's injury (evoked in Chestnut Tree) and Kuroo's life as a prostitute.

Daichi stepped in the inner court of Lefalls – the gardens. There was a well, and the wash house’s water was frozen over. Snow covered the ground like a thick blanket, and not many dared to go outside in the heart of winter. He wondered where Kuroo was for all but two seconds: in the centre of the gardens, there was a wooden fence, separating the meditation garden from the rest. Footsteps lead to there, and he followed, leaving his broadsword at the entrance. It was a big mistake to step inside such a place with weapons, though not outlawed. He had been right: Kuroo was there, but he wasn’t alone. The king, Hayato Starscream, was talking to him in a low voice. They were kneeling in the snow, but Daichi couldn’t see what they were looking at. The gardens were mostly white, covered in snow, but large rocks pointed from it. Some were even massive jewels, glinting red, blue or green with the late afternoon’s rays of sun.

Daichi waited there, not daring to step any closer and interrupt them. However, he observed them: far from the threat of the preceding day, the king’s attitude was… gentle and comforting, as he explained something to the young prostitute kneeling by his side. Kuroo seemed a bit wary, but given his last encounter with the king, it was not surprising. Daichi couldn’t help but smile as he watched him. He looked nothing like the prostitute he’d met in Alin, wrapped as he was in thick clothes. He had a darker complexion than most northern people, jet-black hair pointing from under a hood, and amazing golden eyes. His eyes weren’t lined with black and he wore no other jewel than the expected earring of prostitution. He turned his head slightly, noticed Daichi waiting and smiled. That move got the king’s attention, who smiled as he saw their interaction and got up. He patted Daichi’s shoulder on his way out, and the captain tensed at the foreign and unexpected contact.

Once he was out, though, he walked up to Kuroo and helped him up.

“Aren’t you cold?” he asked gently, rubbing his arms.  
“A bit”, Kuroo confessed. He inhaled. “I wanted to say… Thank you for yesterday. For saving and for… not giving in to my advances. You were right, I was scared out of my wits.”  
“It wasn’t easy”, Daichi said with a low chuckle, “but I want more with you than just… a physical connection.”

Kuroo smirked.

“I’m willing to let myself be wooed, but… I wouldn’t mind so much if you broke tradition and laid your hands on me.”

Slowly, Daichi brushed the back of his hand against his cheek, laying the other on his waist and pulling him close.

“I’m weaker than you seem to think I am”, Daichi said, and pressed their lips together in a searing kiss.

Kuroo pulled away first, his hands on his chest.

“I need to know something, though. Before we take anything any farther. I need to know… why you were outcasted. I need to know if I can trust you. The way you are with me and what I heard… it doesn’t match up, Daichi. Why would you refuse me the way you did yesterday if you really had raped a noble woman? I… I need to know.”

Daichi breathed out slowly.

“I understand. I knew you would ask eventually. This kind of stain isn’t one to go away easily. But, if you don’t mind, I’d rather talk about it somewhere warm.”  
“You were the one who gave me a rendez-vous in the gardens”, Kuroo pointed out.  
“Because it was the easiest way to find you. I don’t want you going to the barracks alone… not with that earring. And I can’t come to the harem.”  
“The king told me about a place we could use, while it’s too cold to meet outside. Come with me.”

He tugged lightly on Daichi’s hand, guiding him out of the meditation garden and to the greenhouse. From there, they got inside the building through the kitchens, and climbed down the large, coiling stairs leading to the first underground level. The harem was on the opposite aisle, and they found themselves in the aisle where the domestics lived. They crossed from there to the south aisle, where the dragon-riders who had sworn an oath to the king lived, and crossed it to another place Daichi didn’t know about. They entered a large room adorned with sofas, where a dozen prostitutes were talking amongst themselves. Their attention immediately turned to Daichi, but as soon as they saw he was already accompanied, they resumed their conversations. A door at the back of the room opened on a long, narrow corridor. They didn’t go that far.

“Dragon-riders and prostitutes make their arrangements in the room we just crossed”, Kuroo said to a completely stunned Daichi, “and then they take one of the twelve bedrooms. On special request, they have access to one of the two master bedrooms. This is where we’re going.”

As he said that, he inserted a gilded key into a lock and opened a nearby door. Daichi followed him inside: it was indeed a bedroom, with a bed large enough to remind him of the time where he was still a noble. There was a bathroom attached, and though quite small, it had a bathtub. The chimney wasn’t lit, but the warmth was conveyed from the upper floors and the room wasn’t cold. Silent, he took off his boots and coat, before he sat down on the bed. Kuroo imitated him, revealing two layers of thick upper clothes and dark, woollen trousers as he sat crossed-legs on the bed.

“Now we can talk”, he said. “So, tell me.”  
“I think I need to tell you everything from the beginning”, Daichi started. “I was born a prince. Heir to the Sawamura throne, to the east. My… My parents’ kingdom is neither big nor rich, and we only ever survived thanks to our protectors. I knew I had to contract a marriage that would guarantee our safety, but we didn’t have much to offer to a more powerful family. The Michimiya family was ruling the land beside ours, and they weren’t powerful either. Our families decided to… fuse their kingdoms. I was to marry princess Yui.”

He paused for a moment. Talking about it revived the pain of losing everything he ever had. Poor Yui.

“I… I started to court her early, because our parents wanted… they wanted the best for us. They thought if we fell in love, it wouldn’t be so hard on us. They wanted our union to be strong.”  
“And you fell in love, didn’t you”, Kuroo said when he went silent again.  
“I… Yes”, Daichi said. “She was… She was everything I could dream of. The wedding was to be on my twenty-first birthday. She would have been eighteen by then, but it seemed… we thought it was too far away. I laid with her, at her own request. We knew if anything were to happen, we’d just have to hasten the ceremony, but we made sure no one knew.” He closed his eyes, feeling tears well-up. “And then came Jarod the Mad. He forced her. She didn’t want to say a thing – she was too ashamed, but she finally confided in me, because she was-” He breathed deeply. “She was pregnant, and she didn’t know whether it was my own or his. We couldn’t accuse Jarod, he would have killed us all, and she couldn’t resist him for the same reasons. I-” He choked on a sob. “I stumbled upon them, and couldn’t stop myself from screaming. Guards came, he had escaped while I ran to her side to help… however I could. They misunderstood the situation. Thought I was the one who assaulted her. She tried to say the truth, got her parents to understand she was pregnant. I stopped her from accusing Jarod, as he threatened to kill her, and her baby along. I… took the blame. Pleaded guilty. We performed the wedding ceremony to try to save her honour before I was Outcasted. I never saw her again.”  
“Gods”, Kuroo said in a breath. “Daichi… Daichi I’m so sorry”, he murmured, wrapping himself around him. “I’m sorry for all I said.”  
“You couldn’t know”, Daichi whispered back. “I… I stepped away from it all. I can’t do anything anymore. I know Yui and her child are alive, and it’s enough for me. I’ve made my mourning, Kuroo. I won’t… keep on weeping on something I can never have.”

He was silenced by Kuroo’s fingers on his lips.

“Stop talking”, he said. “I’m already falling for you”, he said. “For your courage, your dedication, your kindness. I’m not anything close to a princess, despite the royal blood in my veins. And yet you chose me.”  
“Who wouldn’t choose you?” Daichi whispered back.  
“I’m… I’m damaged goods, Daichi. I’m not anything close to what you could pretend to.”  
“I can’t pretend to anything, Kuroo. You must understand that. I come with flaws and problems I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”  
“Daichi”, he breathed. “I haven’t turned twenty-two yet, and I’ve been selling myself since I turned sixteen. My contract had been written by my own mother to save my life. It’s worth two hundred thousand gold coins. I won five silver coins a working hour. I can never pay it back, and neither can you. Do you really want someone who comes with a price tag?”

Daichi gently cupped his face.

“I want you”, he replied, “no matter the price tag. No matter how many shared your bed or paid for your favours. I want you as happy as you can be, safe from harm.”  
“I can never leave here”, Kuroo breathed. “Can you live with that?”  
“I roamed when I had no goal. My lord gave me a purpose, and you gave me a hope. I was given a second chance, Kuroo. I believe you can consider this your second chance too.”

Kuroo’s fingers skimmed over his open palm, brushing against the calluses.

“I should have gone with you when you asked the first time”, he finally said.  
“You would have had a price on your head, and I would have been no good for you. I was no good when we met.”  
“You were suffering”, Kuroo retorted. “Jarod was an asshole, and I knew this even before you told me your story. Alex, they- they were in his castle during the war.” He looked up, staring into his eyes. “He broke them into pieces, Daichi. They were- They still are one of the most loving, the gentlest persons I’ve ever met. They love their job, you know. But since they came back… Something in them broke while they were there, and it scares me.”  
“Was she your friend?” Daichi asked, leaning back and laying on the bed, bringing Kuroo down with him, curled up by his side.

Kuroo nodded.

“I was eight when they arrived in Alin. We became friends, and when I got old enough, they taught me everything there was to know. They were- Alex was my first, and I will always be grateful for that.”  
“We were both lucky to cross her path”, Daichi conceded, but his cheeks had slightly flushed.  
“I’m jealous of this reverent tone you have when you talk about them”, Kuroo said, pursing his nose.  
“Love”, Daichi replied with a low chuckle, “she was my first too. My back was still raw and blistering, but she made me feel like… like I wasn’t just a giant wound anymore. I owe her to not be permanently impotent from the trauma.”

Kuroo replied with a quiet “oh” and went silent, his ears reddening. He had seen Daichi’s back only once, almost three years ago now. It had still been sensitive, but already scarring. The burn extended from his upper back to the small of his back, and Kuroo shuddered just thinking about it.

“What- Your tattoo, what did it represent before?” he finally dared to ask.  
“Nothing that still matters today”, Daichi replied in a hushed voice.

Kuroo didn’t insist, and instead twirled his hand to gather the warm air around them. Daichi shivered at the feeling, and looked at him.

“I’m still fascinated by your air-bending”, he said. “But I’m still fascinated by everything about you, so…”

They laid in silence for a moment.

“Will you show me your house?”  
“Once it’s done, I will”, Daichi replied. “I hope you will become a permanent fixture there.”  
“I’m starting to hope I will too”, Kuroo breathed. “Kiss me, Daichi.”

Daichi shifted to his side and pressed their lips together, requesting entrance and delicately invading Kuroo’s mouth. He held him like he was made of glass, but plundered his lips and tongue like he was the very air he needed to breathe. Kuroo kissed him back, but then pulled away.

“Will I see you tomorrow?”  
“Meet me here at sundown”, Daichi proposed. “We still have much to learn from each other.”  
“I will”, Kuroo said with a smile. “It’s a date, then.”  
“It is”, Daichi grinned.  
“Tomorrow”, Kuroo repeated as he straightened his clothes and exited the room.

Wondering if, maybe, he wasn’t already falling a bit in love with Daichi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note about Alex: yes, I meant to use pronouns that way. They are a non-binary character, who go with female pronouns in the public eye (aka, Daichi), neutral pronouns with closer people (Kuroo) and sometimes male pronouns (only some of their closest friends).


	3. Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo and Daichi have to stay away from the castle for a while - so they travel to a hidehouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for smut (who am I kidding. KuroDai hell y'all).

A few weeks had passed and Daichi had managed to meet with Kuroo every day. Mostly, they sat together for a moment and talked – about anything – or Daichi read him a book, learning to know each other. Sometimes, Kuroo used his air-bending to entertain Daichi. The cold had kept them from going outside much, and they remained in the room given to them. They were there when there was a knock at the door – strong and demanding.

Daichi stomped to the door and opened it, finding a dragon-rider standing there. He handed him a note, sealed with his lord’s blazon, and immediately walked away. Hideo rarely wrote anything other than his weekly instructions, and those always arrived to the barracks. This was an urgent letter. His heart beating madly, he ripped it open, his face going through a wide array of emotions as he read through it.

“What is it?” Kuroo asked, standing up from where he’d been sitting.  
“The king is getting married, as you may have heard. My lord is coming here with his apprentice. His brother is coming too, along with the Emperor and his young sister. He has given instructions: you mustn’t be seen by any noble, and even less by the emperor. He’s sending us to one of his properties, on the northern coast. We are to leave today, after I’ve given his instructions to his vice-captain.”  
“But… how are we to go there? And what about the king?”  
“He’s given us an escort of two dragon-riders who will take us there”, Daichi said. “His apprentice, and his cousin. He trusts them.” He looked at Kuroo. “Make your bag, sweetheart, and meet me in three hours on the training field. I’ll handle the rest.”

Kuroo nodded, but Daichi was already gone, and he sighed. That was the thing with officers – there were some things they couldn’t just ignore. A servant helped him get his stuff ready, but she couldn’t show him where he was going on the map of the kingdom. Like him, she had never learnt to read. Finally, it was time for him to go and meet Daichi outside. He was covered in a good number of layers to warn off the cold, still it struck him when he stepped outside.

The captain was there, with two other vaguely human shapes and two dragons. One was black and lean, the other was an impressive mass of muscles under white and gold scales. He trudged through the snow to them, the wind howling around him, and he wondered how they would even be able to fly through this weather. Daichi grabbed his bag, handing it to one of the people with them. Only their eyes were visible – dark green eyes contrasting with dark-tinted skin, and winter-sky blue eyes in very pale skin. Daichi pulled down the cloth protecting his face.

“You climb with Kiriel”, he yelled, motioning to the green-eyed one, “I’m going with Elijah.”

Kuroo knew one thing: he was looking forward to being at their destination. Anything to get away from this ice-cold wind. Kiriel patted the dragon, who leaned down to let him climb on its back, but Kuroo had never climbed on such a beast. The one Daichi had taken him away on didn’t fly, and didn’t need a dragon-rider on its back. This one, though… It scared the hell out of him. From up-close, its deep-black eyes and rows of needles-like teeth were even more frightening.

“You scared?” Kiriel asked.

He didn’t answer – and suddenly found himself thrown over a muscular shoulder as Kiriel climbed up the dragon’s wing. He found himself sitting up front on the saddle, Kiriel’s arms on either of his sides, holding the reins, and couldn’t stop his cry of absolute fear when they took off. It took a good half-hour before he tried to take a peek anywhere other than the dragon’s head: Daichi was riding behind Elijah on the second dragon, holding on tightly to the dragon-rider. Around them, snow-filled clouds hid the ground from them, and they couldn’t see very far.

Kuroo didn’t know for how long they flew, but it felt like hours. They didn’t dare to take a pause to empty their bladders, the cold too fierce to remain exposed, and barely ate nourishing but awful-tasting meat-sticks without stopping. They couldn’t speak, and the cold was numbing even this close to a dragon’s heat. Kuroo assumed it was the only reason why they weren’t dead or frozen yet, but he was unbelievably happy when the dragon-riders stirred their beasts down. They landed in a very thick layer of snow, and when Daichi jumped down, he found himself waist-deep in it. Elijah had to pull him up back on the dragon, and they equipped themselves with snowshoes before climbing down. Kuroo couldn’t see more than three or four meters away, and he was grateful for Kiriel’s hand pulling him forward. They entered a large hangar filled with straw, finally sheltered from the wind and the cold. There was a large fire-pit in the centre, quickly lit by the dragons.

“The house is mostly underground”, Elijah said as he opened a door on a flight of stairs, “to keep the warmth. It’s rarely in use. We’ll start by lighting the fires.”

He had taken off his furred hood and the cloth in front of his face: he was a man somewhere between twenty-five and thirty, with clear blond hair tied up in a ponytail. His lower bangs were dyed in clear blue, and he had a blond goatee. They followed him inside, and took off their coats, shoes, gloves, scarves and the like in the small room near the entry. It was still cold, but Kuroo didn’t doubt that once the fires were lit, it would be a comfortable place. Kiriel, Elijah and Daichi quickly went through the rooms to light them, which didn’t take long: the hideout wasn’t very big. There was a small common room, with an old carpet in front of the hearth and a couch, and a small table with four chairs. The kitchen was even smaller, but very well stocked. A flight of stairs laid upwards, to the bathroom: no bathtub there, but a natural hot-spring shielded from the outside by the house’s walls. There were two bedrooms, barely large enough to fit the double-beds in them. You couldn’t walk around them and had to step on the bed to get across, but on the far wall of each room was a long, slender window. Kuroo could see nothing through it, and he didn’t know if it was because of the terrible weather, the night already falling, or because of the snow blocking everything.

“The weather is too bad for them to go back now, and they are exhausted from the trip”, Daichi said when he found him in one of the bedrooms. “They will stay here for the night. Elijah offered to take the couch, if you don’t mind sharing a room with Kiriel.”  
“What kind of arrangement is that”, Kuroo spluttered. “You’re sleeping with me. They can share the other bedroom, or take the couch if they want.”  
“Are you sure?” Daichi asked worriedly. “We could-”  
“I am”, Kuroo interrupted him. “We can share a bed. I’d be too cold by myself anyway.”  
“Alright”, Daichi breathed. “I’ve brought your things. You should get changed and put on dry clothes. We’ll all do that.”

Kuroo nodded, knowing he was right. He quickly took off his cold, wet clothes, dried off, and put on a pair of pants, socks, a long-sleeved tunic and a wool jumper. Once that was done, he went back to the common room. Daichi was putting their clothes to dry in front of the fire-place. Elijah had changed into a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark trousers that accentuated his paleness, and he was rubbing Kiriel’s arms and back through a thick quilt.

Kuroo stood frozen on the spot as he realized that Kiriel, who had so easily picked him up, was in fact a young woman. A completely frozen young woman – she was shivering, her teeth chattering. A mane of jet-black hair was spilled over her shoulders and down her back, her full lips raw from the cold. Yet she was incredibly pretty, and though the cold had tired her, it was obvious there was a bright fire burning in her eyes. There was an animal grace to her stance, and Kuroo had no doubt she knew perfectly how to use the claymore she’d left with their coats.

“Help me make dinner”, Daichi said to him, pulling him to the kitchen.  
“How did she manage to haul me on her shoulder”, he asked out loud.  
“Kiriel is going to be one of the best dragon-riders of her generation”, Daichi replied. “Our lord trained her, and he is one of the best. She obviously learnt well.”  
“But-”  
“Kuroo”, Daichi interrupted him, “I’m, without flattery, a good warrior, but she would hand my ass to me under five minutes. Dragon-riders are on a whole other level, and not just because of the dragons. She’s just not used to the cold, she grew up in the far south, close to the desert. The weather took its toll on her.”  
“I’m. I’m just impressed. Stunned.”

Daichi looked back at him, and a smile relaxed his expression.

“Sometimes, I forget you don’t know much of the world we live in”, he said softly. “Yes, a seventeen years-old girl is able to throw you over her shoulder. She wasn’t allowed to fight during the war, but she helped picking up the wounded. This girl lifted armour-covered warriors who weighted more than half her weight. You’re not that heavy.” His eyes looked somewhere far away – to the war he’d lived through. “Wait until she turns back into the chatterbox she usually is. _That’s_ what’s really impressive.”

Despite himself, Kuroo chuckled at those words. The situation felt a bit surreal – stranded on a little house buried in the ground on the northern coast with two dragon-riders, all because their lord ordered so. He took a breath, and turned to the food Daichi was laying on the counter.

“I don’t know how to cook”, he said.  
“I can do it”, a voice said, making them jump. Kiriel was standing there, looking a lot better now that she’d warmed up enough. “I’m used to cooking, Hideo can’t cook for shit, so I do. It won’t be long, you can set the table.”

Daichi and her were very efficient, and minutes later, they were sitting at the table with a warm meal of cooked meat and hot broth. There was no bread, but they had dry biscuits that were good enough. Kiriel talked through most of it, which was just as fine because the three other men felt a bit weird about the whole situation. She asked more questions than Kuroo thought possible, but he was most impressed by her background, completely different from his. Her enthusiasm over the Imperial princess wasn’t lost on any of them, and Kuroo couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he listened to her.

They didn’t dwell any longer than necessary on the meal, Kuroo and Daichi settling for washing the dishes. Kiriel had gone for a necessary warm bath, and though they wouldn’t admit it, they had both heard her quiet request for Elijah to join her. Kuroo startled when he felt a kiss to his nape, as Daichi draped his arms around him. He put down the last plate he’d been drying off, and looked at his lover.

“Can I expect you to keep me warm tonight?” he asked in a soft voice.  
“Is it what you want?” Daichi asked in the same tone, fingers threading through Kuroo’s hair.  
“I’ve been in Lefalls for months now”, Kuroo replied. “You never did anything more than kiss me. I won’t beg, Daichi, so don’t wait for it. But I… I want you. So, will you keep me warm tonight?”  
“As warm as I can”, Daichi said in a breath, gently kissing his lips. “I want to court you the way you deserve to be.”  
“And I’m grateful for the attention”, Kuroo said, “but I also want to be fucked the way I deserve to be. Will you deny both of our desires for some sort of hero-complex?”  
“I won’t”, Daichi sworn. “You deserve the world, love. I wish to give you all I can.”  
“I’m not asking for the world”, Kuroo retorted. “I’m asking for you.”

Daichi’s hands slid from his waist to the back of his thighs and he hitched him up, propping him on his hips with a quiet gasp. Kuroo wound his arms around his neck, staring into his eyes. He was sure, now, that Daichi loved him. A strange, foreign feeling. The captain walked them to their bedroom, closing the door with his foot and dropping Kuroo on the bed.

“Daichi, we should wait to take a bath”, Kuroo said as the warrior started to get rid of his clothes.  
“This could take long”, Daichi replied. “We’ve travelled enough for a day.”

Kuroo shivered, letting him nip at his throat, gasping and moaning as Daichi made a path of kisses down his body with quiet reverence. The rough calluses of his hands felt like magic on his own smooth skin, pulling off his pants and kneading his thighs and butt. A loud groan teared through his chest when Daichi’s mouth opened to take him in, hot wet tongue laving over his throbbing flesh – so much desired, so much expected, it felt a bit like dying. Daichi got up to his knees, searching through his bag until he pulled out a phial of oil, lavender scented, and dripped it straight over Kuroo’s hole. The young man gasped, entrance spasming at the cold of the oil, toes curling as he reached for Daichi.

“Tell me what you want”, Daichi whispered against his ear. “I want to please you. I want to learn your body until I can play it like it was made for me.”

His thumb was rubbing against his quivering backside as he said so, and Kuroo let out a quiet moan.

“I can do that”, he said, “you don’t have to-”  
“I want to”, Daichi cut him off, pressing a kiss to his jaw as he slowly pushed a finger in. “You’re my lover, Kuroo, and I want to open you up on my fingers. Is it so wrong?”  
“What is wrong is you’re still calling me Kuroo”, the young man retorted. “Call me Tetsurou.”  
“Alright, _Tetsu_ ”, Daichi murmured, adding another finger. “Gods, you take it so well.”

His groan spurred him on and Kuroo rolled his hips back in his hand, feeling the pleasurable stretch and trying to accept the idea that this was for him, and only for him. That his pleasure mattered, and Daichi wanted it. He cried out, back arching, when Daichi’s thumb pressed right behind his balls – making him float on an ocean of pleasure, but not completely gone, not yet.

“Daichi”, he gasped when his vision cleared, “Daichi, there’s something I’d like to try.”  
“Anything you want”, Daichi replied with almost frightening devotion – but that was just who he was.  
“Lie on your back”, Kuroo instructed, and when he did so, he rose to his knees, settled over his hips with his back to him, and slowly slid down on him, gasping as his cock brushed over his soft spot. This was for him, for him, _for him._

He rose up and down, rolling his hips, let go of one of his hands to wrap it around his leaking cock, pants falling from his open mouth. Daichi rose up slowly, pressed a kiss to his nape, his shoulders.

“Let me”, he breathed, voice low and hoarse, as he gripped his girth and pumped in time with Kuroo’s movements on him.

His hand freed, Kuroo sent it backwards, fingers gripping at the very short hair at the back of Daichi’s head, pulling him close, holding him – this was for him, just for him. Daichi’s breath fanned over his skin, his throbbing flesh filling him the way he’d dreamt of these past few months – and Daichi moaned, teeth digging slightly into his shoulder.

“Tetsu”, he called, “Tetsu I’m gonna come!”  
“Inside”, Kuroo gasped, eyes glazed over by the pleasure, “come” he choked on his words as Daichi spilled into him, so warm and hot he had nearly forgotten “inside!”.

He came into Daichi’s hand with a strangled moan, then slumped against him when his body unwound. Slowly, Daichi fell back, and Kuroo followed him, wincing when his cock slipped out of him. He could feel the spunk inside him and all over his thighs – it would be hassle to wash away in the morning, but for now he was content staying like this. 

“I’ll go get something to clean ourselves up”, Daichi whispered tiredly.  
“Stay here”, Kuroo replied. “Stay here. You have weeks of sex to make up for.”  
“The flight tired us”, Daichi reminded him. “Once the buzz is gone, you’ll feel it.”  
“Daichi”, Kuroo sighed, turning to face him. “It’s fine. I… Don’t want to wash away all the evidences so soon. You wanted to give me the world, didn’t you?”  
“I still do”, Daichi whispered.  
“This is what I choose to keep”, Kuroo replied, closing his eyes.

He was sleeping before he could think about it, and Daichi followed him once he’d finally stopped mulling over it. He had never taken such an agreeable travel.


End file.
